1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning. 2 00:00:11,280 --> 00:00:17,639 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:22,520 Speaker 1: tip is to listen to yourself. I know that a 4 00:00:22,560 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: lot of people find listening to audio recordings or watching 5 00:00:26,560 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: video recordings of themselves to be painful, but it doesn't 6 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: have to be, and it can be a great way 7 00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: to become more effective at communication. So Before Breakfast is 8 00:00:41,920 --> 00:00:47,640 Speaker 1: celebrating its fifth anniversary right around now. Since launching this 9 00:00:47,760 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: show in March of twenty nineteen, I have recorded well 10 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:57,639 Speaker 1: over thirteen hundred episodes. My process involves recording and then 11 00:00:58,080 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: listening to the recording to double for my producer if 12 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:06,640 Speaker 1: there are any required sound edits. I do not love 13 00:01:06,920 --> 00:01:11,240 Speaker 1: the sound of my voice, but at this point I 14 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:15,200 Speaker 1: have gotten used to it. I also listen to interviews 15 00:01:15,240 --> 00:01:19,479 Speaker 1: I have done on other people's podcasts. Doing so has 16 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,160 Speaker 1: brought me face to face, or perhaps ear to ear, 17 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: with some of my more annoying vocal tics. I have 18 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,400 Speaker 1: not gotten rid of all of them by any means, 19 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 1: but at least being aware of them has helped me 20 00:01:35,440 --> 00:01:40,360 Speaker 1: do them a little less. So. I know not everyone 21 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,920 Speaker 1: is into podcasting, but many people do have to address 22 00:01:44,959 --> 00:01:50,080 Speaker 1: other people at some point. Maybe you lead meetings, maybe 23 00:01:50,120 --> 00:01:54,880 Speaker 1: you occasionally give interviews about a topic. Maybe you sometimes 24 00:01:54,960 --> 00:02:01,160 Speaker 1: need to give speeches. Listening to and watching yourself is 25 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: one of the easiest ways to get feedback on your performance. 26 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:09,200 Speaker 1: I'd like to think that I am not burying my 27 00:02:09,320 --> 00:02:11,639 Speaker 1: head in the score when I am singing with my choir, 28 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,919 Speaker 1: But I have watched videos and you can see the 29 00:02:15,919 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: top of my head more often than i'd like, So 30 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,760 Speaker 1: note to self. Look up. If you watch a video 31 00:02:25,840 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: of yourself leading a meeting, you can instantly see if 32 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: you are doing something with your hands that is distracting. 33 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:38,440 Speaker 1: Many people are surprised to hear how fast they speak 34 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: when they are reading something out loud. What feels like 35 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: a lengthy pause might not actually be noticeable. Maybe you 36 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: are using filler words like um or like frequently. There 37 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: is no need to give yourself a complim about this, 38 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: but for formal interviews you might try practicing answers to 39 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,000 Speaker 1: the usual questions so you don't need to resort to 40 00:03:11,040 --> 00:03:15,400 Speaker 1: these fillers. For instance, if I have just written a 41 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:19,519 Speaker 1: book and I am doing podcast interviews about the book, 42 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:23,560 Speaker 1: everyone is going to ask me what led me to 43 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:28,120 Speaker 1: write the book. There is no need for any ums 44 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: in an answer. I think the key with all of 45 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:37,320 Speaker 1: this is approaching a recording from the perspective that feedback 46 00:03:37,760 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: is almost universally helpful. No one is perfect. I am 47 00:03:44,560 --> 00:03:47,560 Speaker 1: not sure any normal person loves the sound of his 48 00:03:47,680 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: or her own voice. We hear our voices differently in 49 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: our heads than other people hear us, and that difference 50 00:03:57,680 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: can be bothersome. But it's not like the difference doesn't 51 00:04:02,040 --> 00:04:06,840 Speaker 1: exist just because we don't like it. So if you 52 00:04:06,960 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: need to communicate for something high stakes, try recording yourself first. 53 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:16,919 Speaker 1: If you are interviewing for jobs, have a friend to 54 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: ask you some common questions and record your responses. You 55 00:04:22,800 --> 00:04:25,279 Speaker 1: will likely be able to pick up on what sounds 56 00:04:25,640 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: strong and competent and what doesn't good to know. If 57 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 1: you will be giving a toast or a speech, videotape 58 00:04:35,279 --> 00:04:38,480 Speaker 1: or run through, you will see times when the pacing 59 00:04:38,560 --> 00:04:41,480 Speaker 1: is off or anything you are doing physically that you 60 00:04:41,560 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: are not aware of. Other people listen to us all 61 00:04:45,560 --> 00:04:52,719 Speaker 1: the time, but we don't necessarily listen to ourselves. Doing 62 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:57,880 Speaker 1: so means we experience ourselves as others would. Knowing what 63 00:04:57,960 --> 00:05:04,760 Speaker 1: others are experiencing makes for better communication, so it's worth 64 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:10,239 Speaker 1: giving it a shot. In the meantime, this is Laura. 65 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, and here's to making the most of 66 00:05:16,000 --> 00:05:25,760 Speaker 1: our times. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast. If you've 67 00:05:25,760 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach me at 68 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast is a 69 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:43,840 Speaker 1: production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia, please visit 70 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:47,680 Speaker 1: the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 71 00:05:47,720 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.